This invention relates broadly to the art of cleaning devices which comprise sponges or sponge-like materials on ends of elongated handles and methods of constructing the same.
Over the years, there have been a number of cleaning devices suggested comprising elongated handles having sponges, or sponge-like material, on the ends thereof. For example, Hesener U.S. Pat. No. 3,491,397 describes a cleaning device in which a support core is inserted into a hole in a sponge-like block and is attached thereto. The support core has an elongated handle attached thereto for manipulating the block. Although the Hesener cleaning device has some advantages, a major difficulty with it is that various support surfaces described therein do not provide adequate back-up support for bottom, and sidewall outer surfaces of the sponge-like block for applying required cleaning pressures without damaging the sponge-like block. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a cleaning device wherein a sponge-like block is attached to a support block in which sidewall and bottom outer surfaces of the sponge-like block are adequately supported by the support block to apply needed cleaning pressures without unduly damaging the sponge-like block.
A particular difficulty with the cleaning device of Hesener is that some of the relative dimensions of the support core shown therein are unduly small and sharp which causes cutting of the sponge when the sponge is being applied for cleaning in certain directions. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a cleaning device wherein a sponge-like block is not unduly cut or otherwise unduly damaged by a support block when the cleaning device is being used for cleaning.
Another sponge mop is disclosed in Myers U.S. Pat. No. 3,274,635. The sponge mop of Myers has outer surfaces which are provided with very little inner support. Such inadequately-supported sponge surfaces inhibit uniform cleaning and lead to ununiform strains and stresses placed on a sponge. These ununiform strains and stresses create quick deterioration of the sponge, which, of course, is undesirable. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a cleaning device wherein a sponge block is adequately supported by a support block so as not to create undue wear on the sponge block when it is being used for cleaning.
Yet another difficulty with many prior art devices is illustrated in Baum U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,090,985 and 1,509,381 to Townsend. Sponges in the devices of these patents are wrapped on unusually shaped internal supports and are so thin that they can only be used for cleaning specifically shaped objects. They do not allow one to easily clean in corners and grooves. Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a cleaning device having a sponge block and support block which can be used for cleaning objects of most shapes and, in particular, can be used for cleaning in sharp corners and in grooves.
A related problem is that some prior art sponge devices will not allow easy transition from cleaning a horizontal surface to cleaning a vertical surface or from cleaning one vertical surface to cleaning a perpendicular vertical surface without causing undue stress on a sponge and providing uneven cleaning. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to not only provide a cleaning device in which a sponge block is adequately supported by a support block for cleaning both horizontal and vertical surfaces, but which also allows a smooth transition from cleaning horizontal to vertical surfaces, and/or from cleaning one vertical surface to cleaning another vertical surface at a corner, without causing undue stresses on the sponge block while providing uniform cleaning.